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PhD in Indigenous Studies Graduates

2024

Kelly McCormick

PhD. Indigenous Studies

M.A.T., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Southeast, 2002

Thesis:

The importance of extra-curricular basketball programs in ��Ϻ��Ƶ provokes diametrically opposed viewpoints. Some parents and school officials believe basketball advances students’ overall educational experiences, while others believe it detracts from them. Whether or not involvement in a high school, extra-curricular basketball program leads to later success in life (as determined by ��Ϻ��Ƶ Native male participants) is the focus of this research project.

Major professors: Dr. Michael Koskey

2023

John Pennington

PhD Indigenous Studies

Thesis:

This dissertation explores the role and impacts of the ��Ϻ��Ƶ Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) on ��Ϻ��Ƶ Natives when federal disasters occur, along with the potential long-term consequences for government-to-government relationships between ��Ϻ��Ƶ Tribes and the United States, specifically FEMA.

Major professors: Dr. Richard Hum and Dr. Cameron Carlson

2022

Olga Jennifer Skinner
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.A., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 1998; M.Ed., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 2009.
Thesis:
This research explores decision-making of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Native undergraduates pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees. Using participant observation, this research explores the Indigenous metaphor of "the trail" to frame student persistence. Participants represented various STEM fields and ��Ϻ��Ƶ Native cultures, and shared their motivations and aspirations through interviews and photographs.
Major Professors: Dr. Beth Leonard and Dr. Maria Williams

Angela Lunda
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.S., University of Washington, 1979; M.Ed., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Anchorage, 2003; Ed Leadership: Superintendent Certificate, University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Anchorage, 2015.
Thesis:
The phenomenon of cultural identity development was investigated using video collected by children wearing forehead cameras as they engaged in activities on the Land. Children demonstrated their Indigenous identities by exhibiting intricate knowledge of the Land, subsistence practices, and core cultural values, with support from peers, teachers, parents, and communities.
Major Professors: Dr. Theresa John and Dr. Carie Green

Lyla June Johnston

Ph.D. Indigenous Studies

B.A., Stanford University, 2012; M.A., University of New Mexico, 2017

Thesis:

The elements of earth, water, fire, and air were explored to analyze Indigenous soil management, Indigenous aquaculture, anthropogenic fire, and oral accounts from contemporary Indigenous land managers, respectively.

Major professors: Dr. Jessica Black and Dr. Gregory Cajete

2021

Davita Aphrodite-Lee Marsden Giniw’Waabi ‘To See Like a Golden Eagle’
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.F.A., University of British Columbia, 2002; B.Ed., Simon Fraser University, 2004; M.Ed., University of British Columbia, 2010.
Thesis:
This dissertation addresses how integration of Indigenous culture in public school curricula supports success of urban Indigenous students. Drawing on students’ artwork stories, the dissertation investigates how the adoption of Indigenous drumming and singing in classrooms contributes to student success. The study aligns with evidence-based approaches and quantification of learning.
Major Professor: Dr. Sean ��ł�ܰ� Topkok

Charlene Aqpik Apok
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.A., University of Washington, 2013; M.A., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 2016.
Thesis:
The ��Ϻ��Ƶ Native Men’s Voices project made visible experiences of what it means to identify as an Indigenous male. Illumination of Indigenous gender knowledge systems contributes to Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination. Findings articulated holistic notions of health and well-being for future generations.
Major Professor: Dr. Sean ��ł�ܰ� Topkok

Margaret Susan Draskovich Mete
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
MS, MPH, RN
Thesis:
The intention of this research is to explore the importance of promoting balanced holistic health care at a deeper and more essential level in order to address root causes, accessed through communication with the natural and spiritual realms, versus merely treating the physical expressions of illness.
Major Professor: Dr. Theresa Arevgaq John

2019

Liza Marie Mack
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.A., Idaho State University, 2005; M.S., Idaho State University, 2009.
Thesis:
This dissertation uses participant observation, critical case studies, key informant interviews and a survey of Aleut leaders to illustrate the ways Aleut people know and understand their environment and the ways they address natural resource management issues. It highlights the dynamic leadership of Unangan in two Eastern Aleutian communities.
Major Professors: Dr. Raymond Barnhardt and Dr. Courtney Carothers

Heather Sauyaq Jean Gordon
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.A., University of Redlands, 2007; M.S., University of Wisconsin–Madison, 2014.
Thesis:
In this project, the researcher worked with the Ninilchik Village Tribe of Ninilchik, ��Ϻ��Ƶ, to explore how community members utilize self-determination to achieve individual, community, and tribal sustainability and well-being. This project used the method of ethnographic futures research to conduct scenarios about the future.
Major Professors: Dr. Michael Koskey and Dr. Sean ��ł�ܰ� Topkok

Kitty L. Deal
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.S., The University of Alabama, 1983; M.S., San Francisco State University, 1993.
Thesis:
Qik’rtam Litnauwistai (Island’s Teachers) was a multitiered, community-based, participatory action research project to examine the institutional practices and teacher education program at the University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Anchorage’s Kodiak College. This focus on recruiting and retaining pre-service teachers addressed the need to “grow our own” educators, especially Alutiiq educators, for Kodiak Island.
Major Professor: Dr. Beth Ginondidoy Leonard

Sharon Guenther Lind
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
M.B.A.
Thesis:
While the design of the corporation is rooted in the individualistic values of Western societies, the ��Ϻ��Ƶ Native corporate foundation is built upon the Indigenous values of the communal societies they serve.
Major Professors: Dr. Michael Koskey and Dr. Beth Ginondidoy Leonard

2018

Charleen Fisher
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.A., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 1991; M.Ed., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 2004.
Thesis:
Gwich’in pedagogy is largely undocumented in Western academia. Gwich’in epistemology crosses the usual segmented knowledge genres, and intergenerational transmission of Gwich’in knowledge occurs in many places, particularly the natural environment. Complex, relational, place-based, holistic, cooperative, purposeful and subjective, Gwich’in pedagogy emphasizes contextuality, important for both the communal and personal journey.
Major Professor: Dr. Beth Ginondidoy Leonard

Lexie Tom
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.A., Western Washington University, 2011; M.P.A., Evergreen State College, 2014.
Thesis:
An Indigenous Teacher Preparation Framework was created at Northwest Indian College as a result of this research. An Indigenous paradigm was used to design this qualitative research project. This framework, along with the teacher competencies and methods of measurement, aligns with the college’s overall vision of indigenizing institutional systems.
Major Professor: Dr. Theresa Arevgaq John

Charlene Barbara Stern
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.A., Western Washington University, 2002; M.A., University of New Mexico, 2005.
Thesis:
This dissertation focused on the Neets’ąįį Gwich’in and their experiences with planning and development in a pre- and post-settlement context. Planning ahead, being prepared and adapting to changing conditions were key strategies that enabled the Neets’ąįį to survive across generations in one of the harshest climates in the world.
Major Professors: Dr. Michael Koskey and Dr. Beth Ginondidoy Leonard

Alberta J. Jones
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
Thesis:
This study entitled, "��Ϻ��Ƶ Native Scholars: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Factors Influencing PhD Attainment," investigates the contributing factors influencing the attainment of PhD degrees by ��Ϻ��Ƶ Natives.
Major Professors: Dr. Raymond Barnhardt and Dr. Amy Vinlove

Polly E. Hyslop
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.A., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 1990; M.A., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 2013.
Thesis:
Circle peacemaking is a restorative practice designed by the people of Kake, a Tlingit community in Southeast ��Ϻ��Ƶ. Based on local values, ancient laws and traditional knowledge, circle peacemaking has lowered the recidivism rate for wrongdoers in the community and pays close attention to the needs of the victims.
Major Professors: Dr. Beth Ginondidoy Leonard and Dr. Brian Jarrett

Dan Ho
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.A., Roosevelt University, 1988; M.A., University of Guam, 2014.
Thesis:
This analysis of the spiritual aspect of Chamorro cosmology known as fa’ñague (visitations from the deceased) shed light on how and why it exists in Guam, and how it differs among Chamorro Natives who experience it on the island and abroad.
Major Professors: Dr. Michael Koskey and Dr. Beth Ginondidoy Leonard

2017

Yvette Running Horse Collin
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.A., John Hopkins University, 1996; M.A., New York University, 2000.
Thesis:
This project deconstructs the history of the horse and its relationship with the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Critical Indigenous research methodologies and grounded theory are utilized in tandem to reconstruct this history to include cross-cultural translation, the traditional knowledge of many Indigenous peoples, Western scientific evidence, and historical records.
Major Professors: Dr. Raymond Barnhardt and Dr. Beth Ginondidoy Leonard

Beth J. Geiges
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
M.B.A., M.Ed.
Thesis:
This study used Culturally Relevant Reading materials (CRRM) with a proprietary, culturally relevant pedagogy for Reading. It was focused on results in Reading Achievement, both reading fluency and comprehension, involving 7th and 8th grade students in a twelve (12)-week program of Reading Language Arts.
Major Professor: Dr. Beth Ginondidoy Leonard

2016

Pearl Kiyawn Brower
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
A.A., Shasta College, 2001; B.A., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 2004; B.A., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 2004; M.A., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 2010.
Thesis:
After centuries of colonization and assimilation, Indigenous people are making commitments to nurture the next generation of Indigenous leaders. Focusing on Indigenous leadership through higher education, this dissertation defines Indigenous leadership, and creates a model Indigenous leadership program that has a foundation in Indigenous ways of knowing and learning.
Major Professor: Dr. Theresa John

2015

Norma Ann Shorty
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.Ed., University of Regina, 1998; M.Ed., University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2004.
Thesis:
The objective of this thesis is to document the stories and the story-gathering processes associated with published and private holdings of the Kook¯ hittaan and G ¯ aanax¯ .ádi clans with connections to the Inland Tlingit from Teslin, Yukon. This Indigenous-led research focuses on the traditional clan stories from an insider perspective. As a result of this research, Tlingit ways of documenting history are discovered and a Tlingit research framework is revealed.
Major Professor: Dr. Michael Koskey

Charles Sean ��ł�ܰ� Topkok
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.A., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 1992; M.A., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 2010.
Thesis:
Iñupiat Ilitqusiat: Inner Views of Our Iñupiaq Values examines how Iñupiat pass down our cultural heritage. My doctoral research addresses how we view each Iñupiat Ilitqusiat (Iñupiaq values), how our Iñupiat Ilitqusiat have been passed down, and how we pass down our Iñupiaq cultural heritage to our future culture bearers.
Major Professor: Dr. Beth Ginondidoy Leonard

2014

Cheryl Louise Jerabek
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.S., University of Wisconsin - Green Bay, 2001; M.A., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 2005.
Thesis:
Russian heritage, which has been absorbed into the local culture, has played an important role in the individual and group identity of Native people in the middle Kuskokwim River region of ��Ϻ��Ƶ. It is this Indigenous rootedness that is at the core of identity in the middle Kuskokwim.
Major Professor: Dr. Raymond Barnhardt

Jacqueline Marie Rahm
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
M.A., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 1995; B.A., Allegheny College, 1987.
Thesis:
Through Indigenous frameworks and methodologies, this research explores fundamental similarities between pre-Socratic and Indigenous epistemologies. It examines historical forces that since shaped Western thought as it diverged and has impacted American Indigenous peoples. It suggests the critical need for shifting the dominant paradigm toward an original congruity with Indigenous worldviews.
Major Professor: Dr. Michael Koskey

Barbara QasuGlana Amarok
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
M.Ed.; B.A.
Thesis:
My work represents a synthesis of my personal and professional experiences and is similar to research methodologies such as triangulation, auto-ethnography, mixed methods, or various Indigenous research methodologies that focus on webs of relationship.
Major Professors: Dr. Bryan Brayboy and Dr. Eric Madsen

2012

Alisha Susana Drabek
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.A., University of Arizona, 1994; M.F.A., University of Arizona, 1996.
Thesis:
The decline of Kodiak Alutiiq oral traditions and a limited awareness or understanding of archived stories has kept them from being used in schools. This study catalogs an anthology of Alutiiq literature and provides an historical and values-based analysis of the educational significance of stories as tools for wellbeing.
Major Professor: Dr. Raymond Barnhardt

2011

Maryanne Allan
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.A., Seattle University, 1972; M.A., Seattle University, 1976
Thesis:
This study explores the resilience of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Native youth by using a cultural lens to examine the interconnectedness between culturally healthy youth and a culturally nurturing community. The study focuses on the impact of a culturally-based youth group (Young Native Fiddlers) on its members and on the participating community.
Major Professors: Dr. Raymond Barnhardt and Dr. Joan Parker Webster

2010

Theresa Arevgaq John
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.A., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 1983; M.Ed., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 1992
Thesis:
The first purpose of this study was to describe the categories of dance. The second purpose was to describe how Yup’ik music and dance have played a functional role in organizing and maintaining various societal infrastructures within the Yup’ik culture. This study sought to further understand this role and how it has evolved over time.
Major Professors: Dr. Joan Parker Webster and Dr. Raymond Barnhardt

Philip A. Loring
Ph.D. Indigenous Studies
B.A., Florida Atlantic University, 2005; M.A., University of ��Ϻ��Ƶ Fairbanks, 2007
Thesis:
This dissertation explores various dimensions of health and food security in ��Ϻ��Ƶ. The context is dramatic climatic change and ongoing socioeconomic and cultural transitions in ��Ϻ��Ƶ’s rural and urban communities, covering topics like methylmercury contamination and the impacts of environmental change on subsistence and commercial activities.
Major Professor: Dr. S. Craig Gerlach